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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sights of the Sound

These prime views celebrate the arrival of spring in Seattle

Robyn Roehm Cannon Correspondent

For a city with a sometimes maddening lack of sunshine, Seattle has a remarkable number of places to watch a glorious sunset. April is an ideal month to visit, when the city is briefly awash in cherry and magnolia blossoms, brilliant azaleas and budding leaves. Add some (occasionally) blue skies, snow capped mountains, a bright orange globe fading over the waters of Puget Sound and it’s a sure sign that springtime in the Northwest has finally arrived.

Here are a few favorite in-city spots to perch at sunset – or to walk, run, cycle or picnic on any pretty day:

Soar to the sky

It’s hard to beat the views from the Columbia Tower’s Sky View Observatory – Conde Nast Traveler named this one of the top 11 viewing platforms in the world.

In just a few seconds, an elevator will whisk you up 902 feet to the 73rd floor, where you’ll be treated to a 360-degree panoramic view. While it’s great fun to visit any time of day, the sparkling sunset hour is truly magnificent. Ferry boats appear as toys buzzing across the water and even the Space Needle looks tiny in the distance.

The newly opened Sky View Café is a great spot to grab a local brew, Northwest wine or bubbly and a selection of light entrees for a casual supper while you take in the sights. Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. ( www.skyviewobservatory.com)

Jewel of Queen Anne

Some of Seattle’s most lovely residences line West Highland Drive, a view street that intersects with the Queen Anne Avenue Counterbalance. In a five-block range you’ll find three wonderful “pocket” parks – two with stellar views – that attract dog-walking locals, lovebirds and visitors from around the globe.

Kerry Park Viewpoint offers the classic city and Puget Sound view that graces every postcard – and if you’re lucky, you won’t find a more majestic vantage of Mount Rainier, towering behind the city lights. Head west a few blocks and you’ll come to tiny Parsons Gardens, lush with hydrangeas and a lawn made for napping or a quiet picnic. Cross the street to the Betty Bowen Viewpoint at Marshall Park, where embedded in the concrete at your feet are nine squares of abstract artwork by some of the biggest names in Northwest contemporary art – Morris Graves, Kenneth Callahan and Spokane’s Harold Balazs among them. Then look up, for a sweeping view of the Olympic Range and Puget Sound. You can sit a while in the Leo Kenny Seating Circle and take in the sunset here. Or continue on Queen Anne Boulevard, the historic street dotted with lampposts that have crowned the hill for more than a century. ( www.seattle.gov/parks/ park_detail.asp?ID=342)

Cruise ship central

You may not have an Alaskan cruise planned this summer, but beginning May 1, just head across the Magnolia Bridge to Smith Cove Park and watch at close range as the giant ocean liners toot farewell to Seattle and head north. Then stroll through Elliott Bay Marina, picnic on the west lawn that faces the Olympics, rent a kayak or paddleboard by the hour; enjoy a cocktail and burger outdoors at Maggie’s Bluff or a special dinner upstairs at Palisade.

And here’s something not even many Seattleites know: If you wander down “G” Dock from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., the dock master will gladly transport you by boat to a viewing platform, where you can linger as long as you like … and be close enough to the cruise ships at departure you can practically hitch a ride!

The annual Downtown Sailing Series begins in June, running Thursday evenings through August. This weekly regatta is a glorious sight, and everyone is welcome to join the after party, where hot dogs are grilled and kegs are tapped compliments of BMW at Seattle Yacht Club’s Elliott Bay Station. ( www.portseattle.org, www.downtownsailingseries.com)

Sleep at the Water’s Edge

You won’t get any closer to Puget Sound than this in Seattle.

The Edgewater Hotel was originally built at Pier 67 for the 1962 World’s Fair and remains the only overwater hotel in the area. Although you can no longer fish from your room as the Fab Four did when they were guests during the height of Beattlemania in 1964, you’ll find plenty to love. Cozy Northwest lodge-inspired rooms have balconies and gas fireplaces – and to enjoy a cocktail or dinner at the hotel’s signature Six Seven puts you head to head with ferryboats and Olympic peaks at sunset, viewed through floor-to-ceiling windows facing Elliott Bay.

It’s the quintessential Seattle stay … and you can still book the suite where Paul and Ringo slept. ( www.edgewaterhotel.com)

Immerse yourself in art

Just a few steps away from the hotel is one of Seattle’s most beautiful public green spaces, the Olympic Sculpture Park.

In 2007, a contaminated commercial oil brownfield occupied nine acres of prime waterfront property. But thanks to a $30 million donation from Mary and John Shirley, it was transformed into a free public park, eco-beach and permanent home to Alexander Calder’s soaring steel “Eagle,” (which he made in 1971) as well as numerous other pieces of larger than life sculpture collected by the Seattle Art Museum. A fine collection of Northwest trees and plants are particularly beautiful in springtime.

Wander down pathways and experience the art, then grab one of the many red steel garden chairs and position it wherever you’d like to enjoy the interaction between nature and art. Look for artist Ginny Ruffner’s tribute to the late Mary Shirley, an aluminum bench entitled “Mary’s Invitation: a Place to Regard Beauty.” When you sit there, you’ll agree. Open daily from dawn to dusk. ( http://seattleart museum.org/visit/ olympic-sculpture-park)

Robyn Roehm Cannon is a travel and lifestyle writer who lives in both Seattle and Spokane. Follow her travels at www.facebook.com/robyn.r.cannon.